01
knien
to kneel
To lower oneself onto one or both knees so that the body rests on the knees.
example
Er kniete vor ihr nieder, um ihr den Heiratsantrag zu machen.
He knelt down in front of her to propose to her.
knien
to kneel
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'knien' (to kneel) is derived directly from the noun 'das Knie' (the knee). It describes the action one performs with the knees.
EXAMPLE
Das Kind kniete auf dem Boden, um mit seinen Spielzeugautos zu spielen.
The child knelt on the floor to play with his toy cars.
Sentence structure in the perfect tense
The perfect tense of 'knien' (to kneel) is formed in standard German with the auxiliary verb 'haben' (to have), because it describes a position.
EXAMPLE
Er hat eine Stunde lang vor dem Altar gekniet.
He knelt in front of the altar for an hour.
Typical prepositions
In its literal meaning, 'knien' (to kneel) is often used with the prepositions 'vor' (+ dative) or 'auf' (+ dative).
EXAMPLE
Der Gärtner kniet auf der Erde, um Unkraut zu jäten.
The gardener is kneeling on the ground to weed.
Fixed expression
The expression 'sich in etwas knien' (to throw oneself into something) is reflexive and requires the preposition 'in' with the accusative. It means to devote oneself to something with full energy.
EXAMPLE
Ich muss mich jetzt richtig in dieses Projekt knien, um die Frist einzuhalten.
I really have to throw myself into this project now in order to meet the deadline.
Register
The figurative meaning 'sich in etwas knien' (to throw oneself into something) belongs to colloquial language and sounds very committed and energetic.
EXAMPLE
Wenn du die Prüfung bestehen willst, musst du dich in den Lernstoff knien.
If you want to pass the exam, you have to throw yourself into the study material.
Compare with
knien vs hocken
to squat / sit
'knien' and 'hocken' both describe a low body position with bent legs. With 'knien', one knee or both knees touch the ground, and the body rests on the knees. With 'hocken', the knees are strongly bent, but you are more like sitting low on your feet or close to the ground. The knees do not have to touch the ground. The words can be confused because the positions look similar. In addition, 'hocken' can also colloquially simply mean 'to sit', often for a longer time. If the knees are on the ground, you say 'knien'; if someone is deep in a squat, you say 'hocken'.
knien
Beim Putzen kniet Paul vor dem Sofa, um die Münze zu suchen.
While cleaning, Paul kneels in front of the sofa to look for the coin.
hocken
Jana hockt im Garten neben der Pflanze und schaut sich die Blätter an.
Jana is squatting in the garden next to the plant and looking at the leaves.
In real life
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